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Topic: TX500 build (Read 113133 times)

well got a 74' TX500 (at least i think that is what it is) Pretty sure it is not an XS500- I am going to CAFE this sucker very traditional well got a 74' TX500 FAST LITTLE BIKE!

*since this picture i have removed the front fender (it will become my rear fender on my bobber project), added the clubman bars, removed the rear fender and all the lights except for the headlight,(will add tail light today)... got it running (did not run for about 8 years) this bike was made for 2 short years and handles like NOTHING else i have rode... the prev owner was going to start to work on it so he put on new wheel bearings, tires, and bandged the exhaust (totally shot)

few ?'s- anyone know where i can tack down a speedo for this guy? someone took a hammer to it... yes a hammer... i also need to track down an exhaust that woudl work... or i will have to make one! i have alot to do on it but it will take a back seat to my current bobber... just something to keep me occupied after the bob/cafe is finished... i am going to make this sucker so i can CUT some serious turns... thought i would share!... Ill get some better pics later...* I also picked up a 3 place motorcycle trailer from some guy we met in the city! this thing is awesome!!! going to rino liner the whole thing wiht baby moons... post pics on that later

Nice! Can't remember if I threw them out or not, but I had two complete sets of gauges from my two XS400's. Likely the same or close to the 500's. I'll check my parts box sometime. I may have kept them.

As for the trailer, that thing is some gawdawful ugly thing! Lol! Trailers are a handy thing to have around. I just got finished welding and first coat of paint on mine today. Been building it for a few weeks now. Didn't want to buy some prefab garbage that wasn't built how I wanted. It's gonna be a sweet hauler for under $500. Could likely sell for over $1000 when it's done.

They are a two cylinder parallel twin, 500cc, dohc with 4 valves per cylinder, I believe they were timed 360 degrees with a balance shaft but I could be wrong. They were notorious for having cam chain and balancer shaft chain tensioner issues. They had a manual, then automatic, then reverted finally back to a manual tensioner! Apparently the issue is that there's not enough adjustment range on both tensioners, so you have to set the clearance cold and that's it - if it's loose it's loose. The very early ones had a two piece head that was also prone to cracking, there was a retrofit upgraded gasket to help alleviate the problem but later models had a one piece casting.

A very interesting and cool bike .. I'd love one myself. Nice find!

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If you can't explain something to your grandmother, you don't understand it - Albert Einstein

holly crap! you know this bike... WAY better than me! as far as progress photos... dont have any, and will nto for a while... got to finish my CB350 first then i will cafe this guy out... Rudy if you have a guage set that woudl be killer! Lunar you know about these bikes? you ever worked on them? looks alot like my 350 twin in my honda but i have not started to mess wiht it yet... i am going to just clean the carbs out, change the fluilds and then try to gap, time, and set everything... with any luck i wil not have to crack open the motor... hell i doubt i even pull it from the frame at all... just want a bike i can get a little low in the twisty country roads on... i think this may fit the bill! we will have to see.

just had it strapped down real tight... last night i pulled off the tank and headlight... stripped them down... will bondo and sand then prime them up... got the bars off the bike and the clubmans on... still need to pull the guages... just going to do a single speedo... junking the rest of it all.

white... white ... white... with heavy flake teal accents and scallions... everything else will be powdercoated black, white, or polished out... real simple on this one! want to be done with it in 2 weeks! for the white i am going to use white EPOXY paint

last night i got the clubmans on... getting ready to tear out the guages (stock) i only want a speedo and tach... other than that it will all go away (mini tach and speedo are on the way)i got the booth all set up for paint... using the old way with rattle cans on this one... have a buddy that tells me you can not get a good paint job with rattle cans so i will prove my point with this bike.... tank needs to be finished stripped... tried the spray air craft stripper... LAME going to stick with the jell in the future... also got the dent on my 350 project smoothed out as well (one side at least